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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22975582">Darcy’s Beast</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BookDragon13/pseuds/BookDragon13'>BookDragon13</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Bucky Barnes Bingo Fluffathon [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Beauty and the Beast Elements, Bucky Barnes Bingo 2020, Bucky Barnes Bingo Romance Fluffathon Week 2020, F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, Werewolf Bucky Barnes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 15:35:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,985</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22975582</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BookDragon13/pseuds/BookDragon13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Darcy finds herself lost in Romania, then finds a castle...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James "Bucky" Barnes/Darcy Lewis</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Bucky Barnes Bingo Fluffathon [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1645537</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>BBB Special Events</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Darcy’s Beast</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Prompts: eternity Europe escape</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Of course Darcy would get lost in the middle of nowhere in Europe. She’d been trying to use magic to escape another of Jane’s boring lectures and got distracted. So now Darcy had no idea where she was except somewhere in Romania. And she only knew that because she’d asked a passing farmer.</p><p>And now Darcy was approaching a castle. Of course. What was next, a vampire? Nothing would be more cliche than a vampire in Romania. Unless that vampire was Dracula.</p><p>Despite her misgivings (or maybe because of them), Darcy found herself knocking on the door. Would it hurt whoever lived here to get a doorbell? The knocker was one serious downer. And a lot more work to move than it looked.</p><p>The door creaked open. Okay, time for some oil on those hinges. Everything about this was creepy and a small part of Darcy‘s brain was begging her to run. And yet, the rest of her brain compelled her to explore. So, Darcy entered, and the door closed behind her.</p><p>“Hello?” Darcy called out. “Is Dracula home?”</p><p>“Fortunately for you, I’m no Dracula.” </p><p>Darcy screamed at the voice. What the hell? Where did that come from? Or rather, who did that come from?</p><p>A man stepped forward out of the shadows. Long, chocolate hair, stormy blue eyes, dark pink lips that looked like pillows… and fur all over where she could see that wasn’t covered in clothes, except for a metal arm. Okay, not a vampire. Not so creepy after all. And handsome, despite the extreme fuz.</p><p>Great. Now Darcy wondered if she was in some sort of Beauty and the Beast situation. All because she didn’t concentrate while doing magic.</p><p>The man spoke again. “May I ask, what’s your name?”</p><p>“I’m Darcy.” She struck out her hand. “And you are?”</p><p>“My mother named me James, but most people call me Bucky.” He grabbed her hand and shook it. At least the man (werewolf?) had manners.</p><p>“Bucky, huh? Not the worst nickname I’ve ever heard.”</p><p>He laughed. “It comes from my middle name. There were far too many boys named James to keep straight, so I took the nickname. I’m guessing your mother is a fan of Jane Austen?”</p><p>Darcy rolled her eyes. “Yes. My middle name is Elizabeth. Mom was a romantic at heart. I’m just full of Nutella and sarcasm.”</p><p>Another bark of laughter escaped Bucky. “I like you, Darcy. No wonder the castle allowed you in.”</p><p>Enchanted castle. More Beauty and the Beast vibes. At least Bucky seemed nicer than the Beast in the animated movie. Darcy moved closer to Bucky, a question on her mind.</p><p>“Got any roses around here?”</p><p>“Yep,” Bucky nodded. “Wouldn’t recommend picking one unless you want to get stuck here for eternity.”</p><p>“Is that what happened to you?”</p><p>“Sort of.”</p><p>“You planning on telling me?”</p><p>Bucky shrugged. “That depends on if you’ll have dinner with me. You look like you could use something to eat, and the kitchen makes some great food. It may even have some Nutella to put on the fruit.”</p><p>“Well, I’m sold.”</p><p>Bucky smiled and held out an elbow. “Why don’t I take you to a guest room so you can freshen up a little?”</p><p>Darcy shrugged and took his arm. “That sounds like a good idea. Thank you!”</p><p>When they entered the room, Darcy was in awe. She’d never seen anything so fancy in her life! Then again, this was an Enchanted castle. Who knew what was here?</p><p>“I’ll see you in a little while for dinner,” Bucky said as he went out the door. Darcy could only nod in response.</p><p>Thankfully it didn’t take Darcy long to figure out where everything was so she could wash up and change. The bathtub was huge, and the wardrobe was filled with some amazing clothes. It was hard to decide what to wear, but Darcy eventually went with some jeans and a shirt that showed off her curves. When she arrived at the dinner table, Bucky whistled.</p><p>“Anyone in particular you’re looking good for?”</p><p>Darcy smirked as she sat down. “Oh, I just like to look good. You never know who you’re gonna see, or who will have the opportunity to see you.”</p><p>Bucky laughed as the food was served. It wasn’t long before Darcy and Bucky fell into a comfortable conversation. Bucky soon found out that Darcy has magic, though she liked to say she wasn’t the best at using it. They talked about family and friends, likes and dislikes, just about everything under the sun. Except for how Bucky became the way he was. But when Darcy asked about that at the end of dinner, Bucky shook his head. </p><p>“It’s late, and I’m sure it’s been a long day for you, Darcy. Why don’t you stay and maybe I’ll tell you at dinner tomorrow?”</p><p>Darcy agreed (not like she had anything else to do), and she and Bucky went their separate ways to bed. The next morning, Darcy didn’t see Bucky at breakfast or lunch, and decided to explore the castle. Eventually she found the library, and figured she could hang out there and read until dinner.</p><p>When dinner came, Darcy excitedly told Bucky about the library and the books she found. It was nice for Darcy to have someone to talk to about things that she liked, rather than science and Thor like Jane did. Not that she didn’t love Jane, but science all day every day was a bit tiresome for someone who didn’t make it their career. At the end of dinner, Darcy asked again about  Bucky’s story, and he made the same excuse. Darcy just shrugged and went to bed.</p><p>Before long, Darcy had spent over a month at Bucky’s castle. Her days were spent exploring, reading in the library, and talking to Bucky at dinner. Occasionally Bucky would join Darcy in her exploration or in the library. Sometimes they played chess (which Darcy was absolutely no good at) or croquet (which Darcy had never played before and was surprisingly good at). Darcy felt herself starting to fall in love with Bucky.</p><p>The only thing between them? Bucky’s refusal to speak of why he was stuck in the castle. Every night Darcy asked the same question, and every night Bucky gave the same answer. It frustrated Darcy to no end, but if Bucky wasn’t ready to talk about it, then she’d just have to wait.</p><p>It was a night about six weeks from when Darcy first arrived that Bucky finally told the story.</p><p>“I’m sure you’ve figured out by now that I’m a werewolf. Well, back when I was a young pup, and I didn’t know any better about the world, a werewolf came and scratched me. Basically took my whole arm.”</p><p>Darcy nodded. That explains his metal arm, and why the man was so fuzzy every time she saw him at dinner. The only time he’d skipped dinner, Darcy noticed, was on a full moon night, and that was likely because Bucky was a full wolf by the time darkness fell, which was usually when dinner was.</p><p>“Not much later,” Bucky continued, “probably about two or three months, a witch came to the castle and asked for a place to stay. I was wary of anyone new, having been hurt so badly so recently, so I tried to say no. Well, the witch didn’t like hearing that, so she cursed the castle so anyone living in it could never leave, and if someone came to visit and picked a rose, they’d have to stay for eternity as well. She never did tell me how to break the curse, and I doubt she would’ve told me if I asked.”</p><p>“Oh, Bucky, how terrible!” Darcy took his hand and gently rubbed her thumb over the top of it. Man, his fur was soft! Not the point here!</p><p>Bucky shrugged. “I’ve gotten used to it. Besides, modern technology has been pretty great with helping me keep up with the world.”</p><p>“Still, I bet that gets pretty lonely. Especially since the only people I’ve seen here besides you are the servants who bring in dinner.”</p><p>A melancholy little smile tugged at Bucky’s lips. “My parents died a few years ago, and I was an only child.”</p><p>Darcy felt a pull on her heartstrings. No wonder Bucky had put off telling her the story. He was likely so lonely that any type of companionship felt nice. And he was so kind after so much hardship. Bucky was a special man (or rather, werewolf).</p><p>Maybe if she found the rose garden? Darcy knew it was a crazy plan, but now that she had met Bucky, she didn’t want to have to leave him behind. He was a good person who had been kind to her, when most who had been through what he did wouldn’t have been. Besides, many of her best decisions had been impulsive ones.</p><p>“Darcy? You look far away, doll.”</p><p>She shook her head. “I’m sorry. For both what’s happened to you and for getting a little carried away there.”</p><p>Bucky smiled. “No need to be sorry, what’s done is done. And you look pretty when you’re devising a scheme. I probably shouldn’t ask…”</p><p>Darcy chuckled as she shook her head. “I’m sure you’ll find out soon enough.”</p><p>The next morning, Darcy set out to find the roses. It took a couple of hours, since there were a heck of a lot of places to look. But eventually, Darcy saw a greenhouse of roses. </p><p>“Finally!”</p><p>Darcy ran to the greenhouse. Right before she could open the door, though, she felt a hand on her shoulder, turning her around. Bucky was there, a concerned look on his face.</p><p>“What on earth are you doing here, Darcy?”</p><p>She couldn’t meet his gaze. “I didn’t want you to be alone.”</p><p>“I’ve been alone for a long time, doll. I wouldn’t wish this life on anyone, let alone you. Why would you want to stay?”</p><p>“Because I can’t stand the thought of you staying here, while I could come and go as I please. Because I have magic and I have a friend who knows someone who might be able to help. Because I…”</p><p>Darcy bit her lip. She couldn’t say that she loved Bucky, not unless she knew how he felt. Bucky seemed to know what she wanted to say, since his face softened as he came closer, cupping her face with his hands.</p><p>“Because you love me?” He asked.</p><p>She nodded, a tear falling across her cheek. He slipped his thumb across it, wiping away the tear. Slowly, tenderly, Bucky lowered his head, meeting his lips to Darcy’s. It was the best kiss she’d ever had- gentle, loving, passionate. She put her arms around Bucky’s neck, giving the same as she was getting. His arms slowly moved down to wrap around her waist.</p><p>A sudden gust of wind blew around them, accompanied by a resounding woosh. Darcy felt her hair being blown around. Bucky pulled back reluctantly, a question in his eyes.</p><p>“What was that all about?”</p><p>Darcy couldn’t think for a moment, her brain catching up from the kiss. Then she realized.</p><p>“True love’s kiss. That does tend to break a lot of curses.”</p><p>Bucky giggled- full on, little giggles. Darcy couldn’t help but join in with a laugh of her own. It felt freeing, being in the arms of the man she loved. And if the curse was truly broken? It meant that Bucky was free as well. Maybe if Jane and Thor came to make sure?</p><p>“What do you want to do now?” Darcy asked.</p><p>Bucky smirked at her. “I want to be with the woman I love- in bed.”</p><p>Darcy couldn’t disagree. So she ran back with Bucky to the castle, where they worried later about the curse and focused on being together in every way.</p>
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